1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. Brenda is the main character of the play, and the central focal point of the action. Since the play is a one woman show, Brenda essentially plays the characters that we encounter. The setting I would say seems to be around the 70’s, and takes place on the Westside of Los Angeles.
2. What is the intrusion? When Brenda first meets Kali, her boyfriend, we get a sense of direction in the play, as the play seems to pick up in action as well as plot. The whole dynamic and relationship between Kali and Brenda seem to provide a slew of intrusions as each stage of their relationship starts a new course or direction in the action of the play. After they break up, thus begins a new tangent, or intrusion, as they reconnect later, and Kali eventually goes to jail. This once more exemplifies the nature of their relationship providing many intrusions throughout the course of the play, as it develops. 3. What is the unique factor? The unique factor is that this is the day that Brenda tells her story of the life of her relationship with Kali, and how that ultimately affected the rest of her life, specifically emotionally. 4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? Will Brenda escape from out of the Westside? Are Kali and Brenda truly compatible? 5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
Information known to one character: Kai’s secret wish that he wanted to die. Prior to the violent confrontation it was unknown to the audience that Kai felt such emotional turmoil, at least never as explicit as this moment.
Information known to all: Brenda providing information to the audience as a narrator often does, establishing the relationship and providing the backstory to the audience when introducing certain characters.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. The violent shooting at the end of the play stands to be the most theatrical scene in my opinion, as it revealed much about the nature of the characters, especially revealing the extent of the turmoil that Kali felt. 7. List some of the themes of the play. Love, adolescence, maturity, violence, family
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants? Brenda ultimately wants to escape the toxicity of the Westside, and attend college. Throughout the play, her main struggle is striving for what she herself wants, against the obligation she feels she owes her community, her family, and her boyfriend. 9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play. I feel that Aunt Mary and the red roses, directly relate to the title “Queen’s Garden” in that Mary is the queen. The garden is so significant. Ad the red roses being so telling in that that is where the violence and the destruction occurs, the blood of the dead akin to the red of the roses. The broken teapot also brings about a strong imagery as it becomes a metaphor for the instability that follows in the relationship between Kai and Brenda. 10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play. The sense and the presence of community as family is strong in this play. Although not ties by blood, the shared experiences and background that the characters share tie them together, Brenda feels obligated in a way to stay in the community, for she feels that leaving would be a betrayal of sorts.
Brenda is the main character of the play, and the central focal point of the action. Since the play is a one woman show, Brenda essentially plays the characters that we encounter. The setting I would say seems to be around the 70’s, and takes place on the Westside of Los Angeles.
2. What is the intrusion?
When Brenda first meets Kali, her boyfriend, we get a sense of direction in the play, as the play seems to pick up in action as well as plot. The whole dynamic and relationship between Kali and Brenda seem to provide a slew of intrusions as each stage of their relationship starts a new course or direction in the action of the play. After they break up, thus begins a new tangent, or intrusion, as they reconnect later, and Kali eventually goes to jail. This once more exemplifies the nature of their relationship providing many intrusions throughout the course of the play, as it develops.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is that this is the day that Brenda tells her story of the life of her relationship with Kali, and how that ultimately affected the rest of her life, specifically emotionally.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Brenda escape from out of the Westside?
Are Kali and Brenda truly compatible?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
- Information known to one character: Kai’s secret wish that he wanted to die. Prior to the violent confrontation it was unknown to the audience that Kai felt such emotional turmoil, at least never as explicit as this moment.
- Information known to all: Brenda providing information to the audience as a narrator often does, establishing the relationship and providing the backstory to the audience when introducing certain characters.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.The violent shooting at the end of the play stands to be the most theatrical scene in my opinion, as it revealed much about the nature of the characters, especially revealing the extent of the turmoil that Kali felt.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Love, adolescence, maturity, violence, family
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
Brenda ultimately wants to escape the toxicity of the Westside, and attend college. Throughout the play, her main struggle is striving for what she herself wants, against the obligation she feels she owes her community, her family, and her boyfriend.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
I feel that Aunt Mary and the red roses, directly relate to the title “Queen’s Garden” in that Mary is the queen. The garden is so significant. Ad the red roses being so telling in that that is where the violence and the destruction occurs, the blood of the dead akin to the red of the roses.
The broken teapot also brings about a strong imagery as it becomes a metaphor for the instability that follows in the relationship between Kai and Brenda.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
The sense and the presence of community as family is strong in this play. Although not ties by blood, the shared experiences and background that the characters share tie them together, Brenda feels obligated in a way to stay in the community, for she feels that leaving would be a betrayal of sorts.